Rep. Todd Akin, facing calls to step aside from his bid to challenge Sen. Claire McCaskill, once called for his party's state house leader to resign his leadership post following a drunk driving incident, according to local news reports.

Akin, who used the term "legitimate rape" to argue the false claim that women who are raped don't get pregnant, called on then Missouri House GOP leader, Mark Richardson, to quit his post in 1997.

Republican lawmakers interviewed yesterday said they were expecting Richardson to step aside. ``That is the logical thing, just in terms of keeping our focus on legislation,'' said Rep. Todd Akin, R-St. Louis.

A host of Republican leaders have called on Akin to resign. Sen. John Cornyn has pledged to without NRSC support unless Akin quits the race against the vulnerable Democrat.